Julien Absalon (Orbea, FRA) took the hometown win for the Men’s Elite in front of the biggest crowds of the season. World Champion and 2011 World Cup Champion Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized, CZE) moved up after a poor start to claim 2nd and Ralph Näf (Multivan Merida, SUI) took 3rd in his quest for an Olympic spot on the Swiss team. Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower, SUI), who did not race because of illness, is still the 2012 World Cup leader, with 700 points.

U.S racers finishing in the Top 50 included Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing) at 27th, Samuel Schultz (Subaru-Trek) at 34th, Stephen Ettinger (BMC Mountainbike Team) at 36th, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) at 47th and Todd Wells (Specialized) at 50th.

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida, NOR) won the Women’s Elite and earned the 27th World Cup win of her career -- her first since 2008. Crashes kept the racers on their toes and waylaid Katerina Nash (Luna, CZE), World Champion Catharine Pendrel (Luna, CAN), and World Cup leader Julie Bresset (BH-SR Suntour-Peisey Vallandry, FRA) but the medal standings shook out with Nash taking 2nd, Bresset taking 3rd and Pendrel finishing 4th.

Two American racers earned top 20 finishes; Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) finished 6th and Lea Davison (Specialized Racing) finished 16th.

Racers took over the streets in the village of La Bresse for the final cross country eliminator (XCE) event of the 2012 World Cup season. Swiss Patrick Lüthi won the Men’s Elite and Jenny Rissveds won the Women’s Elite for Sweden. U.S. racers Brian Lopes (Ibis) finished third for the Men’s and Chloe Woodruff (Race Club 11) finished 10th for the Women’s.

Cross country and downhill events will return to the U.S. June 28 – July 1 at Windham, N.Y. Windham is the eighth stop on a tour that also visits Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; Houffalize, Belgium; Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Great Britain; Mt. Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

American Georgia Gould finished fifth in last weekend’s RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race in Nové Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic) while American Sam Schultz finished 20th, paving the way for them to make a real run at making the U.S. Olympic team and compete in London later this summer.

Both cross country riders expect to be in Windham when the World Cup series makes its only U.S. stop, June 28 – July 1.

“With the London Olympics coming up in August, U.S. and international riders will need to compete hard in Windham in June to make their teams and compete for their countries,” said Nick Bove, Windham World Cup Race Director. “This will make an already awesome event just a little bit more competitive and crazy. We can’t wait to once again host the best mountain bike riders in the world here in Windham.”

Windham is the eighth stop on a tour that also has visited Houffalize, Begium and will be visiting La Bresse, France; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Britain; Mt. Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

SCOTT Bikes is the title sponsor of the 2012 Windham World Cup cross country (XCO), an endurance event on a challenging singletrack course with steep climbs and countless bridge crossings.

Stan’s NoTubes is the title sponsor of the 2012 Windham World Cup downhill (DHI) race, where riders race the clock on treacherous descents.

“This year’s race preparations have been challenging. Windham (the town and the mountain) suffered devastating losses after Tropical Storm Irene and Hurricane Lee swept through late last summer. The damage was monumental, businesses were ravaged and houses swept downstream. But the community rallied around amazing support from near and far to get ready.” said Nick Bove, race director of the Windham 2012 Mountain Bike World Cup. “SCOTT Sports and Stan’s NoTubes have shown tremendous faith in our rebuilding efforts and we are ready and eager to welcome back the international mountain bike racing community.”

XCO sponsor, SCOTT Bikes is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, sales and marketing of high-end performance products intended for cycling.

"We have two globally dominant XCO programs and a DHI program here at SCOTT," said Adrian Montgomery, marketing director for SCOTT USA. "The SCOTT-3Rox Team was created to develop North American riders and our commitment to the Windham World Cup will help showcase the talent of the Team here in the U.S. It's so important to support bringing the World Cup back to the birthplace of mountain biking and SCOTT is wholeheartedly supportive of the event."

Based in Big Flats, N.Y., Stan’s NoTubes, a manufacturer and innovator of a tubeless tire system that is the used by countless professional athletes and dedicated riders signed on as the title sponsor of the DHI event at the Windham Mountain Bike World Cup.

“Stan's NoTubes is proud to sponsor the DHI race at Windham for 2012. We have lent our support to the UCI events held at Windham for the past three years have found it to be a very positive experience for both sponsors and competitors alike and we're extremely pleased to support them again this year,” said NoTubes co-founder Cindy Koziatek. “As a small New York State-based company, we feel strongly about supporting the local economy and the biking industry as a whole. We look forward to having our Stan's NoTubes Women’s Elite Mountain Bike Team present as well as live tech backup to assist our many supporters also attending the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event in Windham.”

The World Cup festivities will be in Windham on June 28 through July 1 and will feature UCI cross-country and downhill races, pro-am Kenda’s Race the World XC and Gravity East DH races, the GNH Lumber Kids’ fun race, a Thursday night "Ride the Pond Challenge," a Friday night Block Party on Main Street and live music on Saturday night with bike trials demonstrations and motocross aerial stunt shows.

Unlike most international World Cup venues, there will be no fees charged to enter the venue or the consumer and tech expos. To help defray the tremendous organizing costs and to keep the World Cup in the U.S., a minimal fee for parking - $10 for an entire carload for one day, or $25 for three days - will be charged.

Windham is the eighth stop on the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup tour that also visits Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; Houffalize, Belgium; Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic; La Bresse, France; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Great Britain; Mt. Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

If you can’t get to Windham, bring the action and thrills from Windham to you!
Watch broadcasts of the UCI downhill and cross country races on Universal Sports Network on June 30 and July 1 at 6:30 pm EST (check local listings.)

On Saturday, June 30, Gravity East invites professional and category 1-3 cyclists to participate in the downhill event (3:15 p.m. start time.) For categories, points and entry fees, visit http://gravityeastseries.com/index.html.

On Sunday, July 1, Kenda’s Race the World XC, invites professionals, category 1-3 cyclists and first timers to compete on the same course as World Cup athletes. Races start at 8 a.m. and entry fees range from $25 to $50. Kenda’s Race the World XC is part of the New York State MTB series and the Root 66 Series.

Kids will also have a chance to race on a 1/8 to 1/4 mile loop at the base of Windham Mountain near the lodge. The GNH Lumber Kids’ Fun Race is appropriate for children up to age 12. Participants are asked to bring their own bikes. Heats will be broken down by age. The race starts at 12:45 pm on Sunday; there is no entry fee.

Riders are encouraged to register for the cross country, downhill and kids’ races by visiting www.racewindham.com (click on non-UCI, and follow instructions at www.bikereg.com). Online registration closes on Friday, June 29, 2012 at 9:00 PM ET.

Registration entitles racers to participate in all World Cup festivities at Windham Mountain including a Thursday night "Ride the Pond Challenge," a Friday night Block Party on Main Street and live music on Saturday night with bike trials demonstrations and motocross aerial stunt shows. Unlike most international World Cup venues, there will be no fees charged to enter the venue or the consumer and tech expos. To help defray the tremendous organizing costs and to keep the World Cup in the U.S., a minimal fee for parking - $10 for an entire carload for one day, or $25 for three days - will be charged.

If you can’t get to Windham, bring the action and thrills from Windham to you!
Watch broadcasts of the UCI downhill and cross country races on Universal Sports Network on June 30 and July 1 at 6:30 pm EST (check local listings.)

Two-time Olympic champion Julien Absalon (Orbea, FRA) came out on top of the Men’s Elite cross country (XC) race at the 2012 RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano in Houffalize, Belgium. Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower, SUI) came in a close second after his win last month in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory, ITA) came in third.

In the XC Women’s Elite, Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team, CAN) won the day, with Julie Bresset (BH – SR Suntour – Peisey Vallandry, FRA) coming in second and Maja Wloszczowska (CCC Polkowice, POL) rounding out the medal standings. Two American racers earned top 20 finishes; Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) finished 12th and Lea Davison (Specialized Racing) finished 19th.

A new race format, the cross country eliminator (XCE), debuted on the World Cup circuit this year. XCE, similar to four-cross, involves four riders competing against each other on short tracks with terrain similar to XC courses (including uphill and downhill features). The top qualifiers (and heats) are determined by a timed lap of the circuit.

Combining the fast-paced action of a sprint (the circuit was 530m long), the challenging terrain of XC (steeper climbs) and the competitiveness of the four-cross, the Houffalize course offered challenges met by race winners Brian Lopes (Ibis,USA) in the Men’s Elite and Annie Last (Milka Brentjens, GBR) in the Women’s Elite.

Cross country and downhill events will return to the U.S. June 28 – July 1 at Windham, N.Y. Windham is the eighth stop on a tour that also visits Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic; La Bresse, France; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Great Britain; Mt. Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate, RSA) kicked off the 2012 RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with a huge downhill win to the approving roar of hometown crowds.

For the women, the field opened up after injuries waylaid several top racers. Tracey Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride, AUS), a former Junior World Champion, won by nearly a full second, besting 2011 Junior World Cup champion, Manon Carpenter (GBR.)

American riders posted impressive results in both the Men’s Elite with a second place win by Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing Team) and the Women’s Elite with a fourth place win by Jill Kintner (Transition Bicycles). Also, in the Top 20 Men’s Elite, Neko Mulally (Trek World Racing Team) finished 14th. These strong finishes will give American audiences even more to cheer about when the World Cup returns for the third year in a row to Windham, N.Y. June 28 – July 1. In 2011, Gwin won the Men’s Elite at Windham and went on to win the series overall.

Windham is the eighth stop on a tour that also visits Houffalize, Belgium; Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic; La Bresse, France; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Great Britain; Mt. Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

For the third year in a row, the world’s best professional mountain bikers will converge on Windham Mountain as the town hosts the eighth in a series of 10 World Cup events held all over the world. The 2012 edition of the RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano makes 10 stops worldwide with the Windham event taking place from June 30 through July 1.

This year, a much more serious story underscores race preparations. Windham (the town and the mountain) suffered devastating losses after Tropical Storm Irene and Hurricane Lee swept through late last summer. The damage was monumental, businesses were ravaged and houses swept downstream.  “The people of Windham are tenacious and the community rallied around amazing support from near and far to work to get the mountain and town ready for ski season and, eventually, the World Cup,” said Race Director Nick Bove.

The sidewalks on Main Street have been replaced.  Basements that were buried in six feet of mud and debris are clean. 

“We are all fighting hard to come back, working to create challenging race courses and looking forward to welcoming back the international racing community this summer,” Bove added.

The good news -- with the Summer Olympics a few short weeks after the races at Windham, Windham will be the last, best place in the U.S. to see members of the U.S. Olympic Mountain Bike Team and other international team racers prior to the games.

Windham World Cup organizers are planning many community events again this year, including cross-country and downhill racing for all levels of ability, a block party and a concert, among other activities, to continue previous year’s efforts to involve racers and spectators alike in celebrating the uniqueness of the Windham area.

“So many people – riders and spectators alike – told us that they had a terrific time in Windham last year and we promise that we will live up to their high expectations for 2012,” said Bove.

Windham is the eighth stop on a tour that also visits Pietermaritzburg,South Africa; Houffalize, Belgium; Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic; La Bresse, France; Val di Sole, Italy; Fort William, Great Britain; Mt.Sainte-Anne, Canada; Val d’Isere, France; and Hafjell, Norway.

Under this new partnership, RBMH will provide media services including HD TV production, webcasting and content syndication. Live streaming of all the World Cup Cross-country Olympic, Crosscountry Eliminator and Downhill races will be featured on www.redbull.com/bike and www.redbull.tv. The UCI and RBMH will collaborate closely to ensure that coverage of these events will be more dynamic, innovative and viewer-friendly, providing fans with unforgettable images of racing action.

RBMH will produce the official international live signal as well as highlight programmes that the UCI will provide to TV channels on all continents. Overall TV production will be improved with High Definition images and an increased number of cameras at events.

RBMH, which replaces Freecaster.tv as exclusive live streaming partner, will also hold worldwide non-exclusive internet rights to the UCI BMX World Championships as well as selected media rights in certain territories for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

UCI President Mr Pat McQuaid welcomes the latest partner for the new-look mountain bike series: “The RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano has been given a boost for 2012, and with RBMH on board, we can be sure that top quality images of this series can reach fans throughout the world. This exciting World Cup series deserves innovative media coverage of the highest standard. With RBMH we have found the perfect solution. This new partnership can only serve to further develop our leading mountain bike series.”

UCI Communications Department

Fans of downhill racing where riders race the clock on treacherous descents will be cheering as American racer Aaron Gwinn (Trek World Racing) and British racer Tracy Moseley (Trek World Racing) go for their fourth wins of the series in the Men’s and Women’s Elite categories. Gwinn is the first American man in more than 10 years to lead in overall points and to be in a position to win the World Cup series.

In cross country Women’s Elite, Catharine Pendrel of Canada (Luna Pro Team) and Julie Bresset of France (BH – Suntour – Peisey Vallandry) will continue to jockey for the win at Windham and for the overall points lead. In cross country Men’s Elite, Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic (Specialized Racing Team), who won the 2010 World Cup final, is the current overall points leader with two wins under his belt.

Hometown favorite Todd Wells of Windham (Specialized Racing), the highest placing cross country American racer, has had some great races this series and is holding on to the 20th position for overall points. American women Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Trek) and Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) are also strong contenders for Top 20 finishes.

In addition to World Cup events, a highlight of the weekend’s activities will be the Friday night block party on Main Street in Windham. The party, which runs from 8 to 11 p.m., will open with the Brooklyn Steppers drum line and the Taiko Drum Corps. Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers, a musical group, and the Albany All Stars women’s roller derby squad will also entertain the crowds. Six-time mountain bike trials world champion Mike Steidley will be on hand for the trials stunt show, and the Chatham Unicycle Club will perform its own stunt show and teach interested participants how to ride a unicycle. A 15-foot by 22-foot movie screen will be set up to show “Follow Me,” a movie featuring Windham athletes and others involved in the sport of mountain biking.

Main Street (New York State Route 23) will be closed between Mill Street and Church Street for the block party, which is free and open to the public.

Great weather and tough courses made for interesting results as racers passed the half-way mark in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series presented by Shimano at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec.

American racer Aaron Gwinn (Trek World Racing) responded to the cheering fans with his third straight win in the DH Men’s Elite category. Tracy Moseley (Trek World Racing), also won her third race in a row in the DH Women’s Elite category.

American DH racers in the Top 20 overall include on the Men’s side, Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) ranked 1st and Luke Strobel (MS Evil Racing) ranked 18th , and on the Women’s side, Jill Kintner ranked 11th and Jacqueline Harmony ranked 16th.

In cross country Women’s Elite, Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) wins on home territory and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) wins in the Men’s Elite. In spite of a crash in lap two, Todd Wells (Specialized Racing) the highest placing American racer took 18th. For American women, Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Trek) took 12th, Lea Davidson (Specialized Racing) took 19th and Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) took 20th.

The World Cup will arrive in Windham in July (7–10) and features cross-country and downhill courses similar to those praised last year by riders and officials. In addition to the UCI races, Windham World Cup festivities will include Pro-Am Race the World XC and Gravity East DH races, a Block Party on Main Street, live music on Saturday night (bands TBA), and a heart-racing "Big Wheel" race(BYOBW). Unlike most international World Cup venues, there will be no fees charged to enter the venue or the consumer and tech expos. To help defray the tremendous organizing costs and to keep the World Cup in the U.S., a minimal fee for parking - $10 for an entire carload for one day, or $25 for three days - will be charged.

Windham is the seventh stop on the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup tour; additional stops include Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; Yorkshire, Dalby Forest, Great Britain; Fort William, Great Britain; Offenburg, Germany; Leogang, Austria; La Bress, France; Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic; and Val di Sole, Italy.